Hey, so I was spot-on as far as the leather clothes hypothesis… assuming Cornflakes knows what he’s talking about, and it sounds like he does.
I’m sure Paul won’t have a problem providing cloth belts to everybody on the crew. The man is worth over 1 billion dollars. I’m sure there’s room in the budget to replace leather belts. And as somebody else pointed out, there will be a venue with a crew willing to take his money regardless of his weird stipulations.
And I doubt very, very much that there is anything an angry crew can do to make his show boring. The man can stand on the stage with no lighting and poor sound and just an acoustic guitar, and the people who spend hundreds of dollars for tickets would still be happy about it.
The whole issue is just a load of crap. The stage company will be pissed off, and while the local venues will be glad to get the contract, the local crew either won’t remember, won’t care or will decide to drive their cabs that night instead. If the rule covers everybody, and not just the folks directly hired by Wings (or whatever they’re called these days), I suspect that Mr. Paul will either go nuts or overlook a lot of leather. In any case, it doesn’t sound like fun.
No, I don’t think it is, when it comes to the contents of one’s lunchbox. Obviously, illegal drugs or liquor are off-limits, but a baloney sandwich? Come on, this is ridiculous. If Paul McCartney wants to provide catering for the crew, and wants it to be vegetarian (or was it vegan?), then that’s his perogative - he’s paying, the menu is up to him. But for him to dictate what someone else brings for lunch, on their own dime, is just fucking obnoxious.
Imagine if this were your workplace. Your basic run-of-the-mill office; a doctor’s office, an insurance agency, a real estate office, law office, what-have-you. This isn’t Sir Paul Mc-Fucking-Cartney, World Famous Celebrity, it’s just Average Joe McBoss.
Average Joe McBoss has suddenly decided to start catering lunches in for everyone. Hey, that’s cool!, you think. Free lunch!
One thing - they are going to be strict vegan lunches, and in addition, you are no longer allowed to wear anything made with leather (belts, shoes, etc.) or carry a leather briefcase or leather laptop case.
Well, you decide, I’m not a vegan, so I’ll just bring my Turkey Club sandwich and milk in from home.
“Nope,” says Average Joe McBoss, “I’m a vegan and that’s not allowed. No animal products in the office. And don’t forget - no leather shoes anymore, either!”
Now, how does it sound? Since it’s not “Sir Paul McCartney, World Famous Celebrity” it sounds pretty stupid. If Average Joe McBoss tried this in Corporate America, how fast do you think it’d be before a lawsuit was filed?
faster than Oprah on a baked ham.
I’m sure you’re right that a lawsuit would be filed. As has been pointed out in myriad threads on this message board, however, the filing of a lawsuit is no indication that the case has merit.
I’m not saying that you’re wrong, but perhaps you could direct me to the relevant law, either state or federal, that would prevent an employer dictating what employees eat while on company time and/or property?
Then, if you find such a law, perhaps you might also explain how it would apply to a concert series taking place in Europe.
As an employer, I am glad that I am more human than Paul McCarrotney. Just another star thinking they’re bigger and better in life, philosophy, and ethics. As a show of solidarity, I think I’ll order 30 more Meat Lover’s Pizzas for the next staff meeting…and a few more vegetarian pizzas for my vegetarian staff since they are just as much as family.
If the job paid well enough and had a benefits package, I think I’d get used to broccoli and start stocking up on lettuce. If the job wasn’t worth going vegan for one meal a day (and it would have to be a pretty shitty job…) then I’d find a new one.
Even if you put it in “Joe McBoss” scenerio, it still seems like a stupid thing to get pissed off about. God, it’s just one meal a day. As for the leather thing? So the fuck what? I’m sure that somebody, somewhere makes cases, belts, shoes, and purses that aren’t leather, and furthermore, you’ll be able to find them without too much effort.
But obviously, to me it’s just nourishment to get me through the day…I probably fail to grasp the near religious overtones lunch takes for some of the people in this thread.
cornflakes made some good and insightful points. But keep in mind that, from the point of view of McCartney and some (though by no means all) of his fellow vegetarians, every baloney sandwich or leather belt means that some cute cuddly animal had to die. He’d probably say, “If my rules result in a dull show, oh well. I don’t want animals to have to die just to make my show more exciting.”
I’m not saying I agree with this thinking, just that it does make sense from a certain point of view.
You got a shiny metal arse clown? I’m so jealous: mine are all cheap plastic.
I’m just saying that since this is a BIG STAR, he can get away with it, and most people don’t even bat an eye. Some people even think it’s cute or quirky.
It’s just my opinion, however, that for a boss, no matter who he is, to dictate what an employee brings in his own personal lunch, that he paid for with his own hard-earned money, is just freaking obnoxious. It’s beyond obnoxious.
I’m not talking about illegal drugs, or someone bringing in a six-pack of beer to have with lunch - of course that’s wrong. And if McCartney is paying for the catered lunch, and wants it to be vegan, that’s fine. If he’s paying for it, then he gets to dictate what’s served. But for him to tell workers bringing their own lunches that they can’t bring a baloney sandwich or a leftover piece of chicken from dinner last night - well, I’m sorry. If the worker if providing their own lunch, they should have the right to eat what they want.
…and from the article…
Boldings are mine.
I think that at least 2 meals periods would be scheduled in a twelve hour work day, not counting breaks. I would also think that it would be pretty naive to think someone can be forced to tough it out over a minimum of 12 hours. If you can’t respect your work crew to help you through a 12 hour workday by forcing your beliefs on them, then you’re less than human.
Good grief. Less than human. For not wanting meat consumed on the premises. That’s rich.
Assuming that the staff MUST have meat (or what = they’ll die? Uh huh) - they have the option of eating a huge bacon laden breakfast before work. Or a large, meat laden dinner when they get home from work. Or heck - perhaps they could wander off-site during their lunch break to shwank back their pork sausages.
Just because Paul McCartney happens to have earned a position in life where he can dictate what people can eat and wear while working on one of his shows, it hardly makes him subhuman. A bit of a pain in the ass perhaps, but sub-human is totally absurd.
If the situation was reversed, how would you feel? that he refused to provide any vegetarian food and banned employees from bringing in and non meat based products, and made all his employees dress entirely in leather?
Well - your comparison is totally absurd. A vegitarian meal can be nutritionally complete (not to mention tasty and satisfying). An all-meat meal cannot. Even the High-Protein Atkin’s Wanna-Bes I know don’t eat all meat - occasionally they eat a veg or a piece of cheese. However, I’ll answer your question anyway.
I would go off-site. Which is exactly what I do now when the on-site establishments where I work aren’t offering veggie selections. Boo-frikin’-hoo.
First, let me repeat that I think McCartney is being a pain in the ass and majorly overreaching by dictating what people carry in their lunchboxes. That’s idiotic.
However, the hypothetical you propose isn’t the same as what he is doing.
He’s not forcing people to wear stuff that they have a moral/religious objection to wearing. (Is there some belief system that forbids the wearing of twill? I doubt it.) Also, he isn’t forcing people to eat something that they have a moral/religious objection to eating. (Is there anyone here who is morally opposed to ever eating a vegetable product? I don’t think so.) So it isn’t the same.
If the employees are able to leave the workplace to eat their meat products, then that is what they should do. Or find another job. Or revolt. I agree that McCartney is being an idiot, but he’s not forcing something upon them that they don’t already eat and wear on their own time. Unless you know of some people who never wear anything but leather (leather underwear?) and never eat anything other than meat products.
Heh. 
Yes, well, I know there is such a thing, but you know what I meant . . . 
Leather Fruit of the Looms? Leather socks? Leather undershirts? Leather nylons? Leather t-shirts? That would be some unusual fashion statement . . .
And I think “respect” is the key word here. McCartney wants the work crew to respect his beliefs. What about him respecting their beliefs?
I don’t know that I’d use the phrase “less than human,” but I might use “egomaniacal pain in the ass.”
Bingo…but I’m still standing by my “less than human” remark. Although I detest smoking, I still respect my employees by giving them the opportunity to smoke outside for their breaks. Otherwise, if I forbid them to smoke for the whole 12 hours, I feel I would be acting less than human expecting them that they can by without it (I too know that they are not gonna die either), plus some of my employees would let me know what kind of inhuman prick I am, especially if it was a 12 hour workday. I don’t have to furnish the damn deathsticks, but I’m not going to forbid it for half a day.
McCarrotney is setting an unrealistic goal upon his employees, by using his authority to force his beliefs…we’re not talking about new hires here who found this out in the company manual on their hire date, we’re talking about seasoned employees that have to make an immediate lifestyle change for 2/3 of their waking hours…that is inhumane. Are we even sure if they can leave the premises at all for those 12 hours? If so, then for how long?
As for an all vegetarian diet vs. an all meat diet and who can survive on what…Irrelevant. What’s relevant is what you can legally eat and what you can’t legally eat; Last time I checked, McCarrotney is not in the Legislature, nor am I drawing up any laws for the outright banning of cigarette smoking. Dude is overstepping his bounds and he’ll probably get a reality check in the mail soon.